Optimize Your Strengths

Discover your unique edge. Each of us has our own set of strengths, abilities and skills that allow us to shine and deliver exceptional results. These are our underlying qualities that energise us and we are great at (or have potential to become great at). But how do you understand and build upon your strengths and how do you inspire others to do the same? Optimize Your Strengths provides a proven strengths-based approach to achieving peak performance for you and your team. You'll discover your core strengths and learn how to use these to bring out the best in yourself and inspire passion, innovation and engagement in those you lead. Using the Stretch Leadership Model, leadership and organisational development experts, James Brook and Paul Brewerton, show you how to lead beyond boundaries and develop positive habits that drive you to continuously improve and take advantage of new opportunities. Through a fictional narrative that brings the subject to life; follow the journey of Joe (a leader facing both personal and professional crises), as you learn to: Discover, analyse and grow you and your team's natural strengths and abilities in pursuit of a compelling vision Develop an energising and powerful leadership approach based on strengths, solutions and possibilities Use a Stretch Toolbox of six step-by-step models to uncover your leadership edge and grow into an inspiring leader Get hands-on experience working through chapter exercises on an accompanying website Take real action to continually enhance your strengths and improve your weaknesses

Acknowledgements vii Foreword ix Introduction xi Chapter 1 – The Leadership Edge 1 In which Joe comes to terms with his predicament and challenges his beliefs about leadership… Chapter 2 – Habit 1: Sharing Vision (stretch goals) 21 In which Joe practises setting stretch goals… Chapter 3 – Habit 1: Sharing Vision (optimizing strengths) 47 In which Joe practises optimizing his strengths… Chapter 4 – Habit 2: Sparking Engagement (optimizing others’ strengths) 65 In which Joe practises optimizing the strengths of others and takesactiontoreduceperformancerisk… Chapter 5 – Habit 3: Skilfully Executing (strengths-based culture) 77 In which Joe practises stretching the limits and reinforces a strengths-based culture… Chapter 6 – Habit 3: Skilfully Executing (reinforcing a strengths-based culture) 93 In which Joe continues to stretch the limits… Chapter 7 – Habit 4: Sustaining Progress 109 In which Joe recognizes achievement… Chapter 8 – Postscript 121 In which Joe celebrates success and passes on his learning… Appendix – The Stretch Toolbox 127 Free tools and resources to help you transform your leadership Glossary of Terms 147 About the Authors 153